- December 18, 2025
The Cypress Head Golf Course has seen some financial decline during the 2018 fiscal year compared to the last fiscal year, according to the latest city report.
During the Tuesday, Feb. 27, city council workshop council members were presented with a golf course update, which indicated there was a decline in revenue of about $29,000 from $429,108 to $395,901 this year. Additionally, $1,000 was transferred from the general fund for repairs and other improvements.
Councilman Bob Ford said there has been a slight but consistent decline in the number of players over the years. His question was whether or not something could be done to bring the number of players up, possibly to around 500 a month.
"I think the conclusion I came to is the golf business is in decline right now for a whole series of economic and social reasons and the amount of competition in this area is so much that it is difficult," Ford said. "If you raise your prices beyond a certain point you're going to lose money ... it's something we wouldn't want to do to our community members."
John Cameron, chairman of the Golf Advisory Board, said that the golf course has accumulated debt, calling it a "hard thing to overcome" while adding that the course's business plan has some flaws.
Cameron said that communities, such as New Smyrna Beach, have at times forgiven the debt allowing the business to "hopefully operate out of profit and then improve itself with its own profit instead of having to worry about making payments."
Looking at the other benefits the golf course provides within the city, Vice Mayor Scott Stiltner said property values are reflected in that area while the land has enabled the removal of reclaimed water. Stiltner also mentioned taking a closer look at how much residents valued the golf course and what it means to them.
"The golf course is what it is and I don't think it's ever really been profitable," Councilman Drew Bastian said. "But if we can minimize loses out there for the benefit it provides for those other areas then that's OK."
